Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-28
that she was nineteen and I va
twenty-three,

wilderness In company with beauti-
! ful woman. Several books have been
written with that one idea TO carry
them, and, like Charles Rcade's Foul
Play they have always caught the
public's eye. There was no sentimental
talk between us. The crack OF the
guerrilla rife, the distant boom Of bat
tie, the war-smoke in the air, and the
period when no one knew what day
might bring forth were very i'll adapted
| for sincere love-making, and that any
thing in the shape of man could have
made love to Ellen Sunderland insin-
cerely it would take q pretty bitter
cynic to believe. But we were together
none the less together when the tree
shadows crept slowly across the hot,
still. brown fields as the sun sank lower
and lower toward the mountains sum-
miis; together in the stiffness and
the woods in the noontide heat; to-
gctber when the big, round harvest
moon hung still and fhimmering like
great shield OF gold balanced against
the black-velvet wall of the autumn
night universe. What we said, and
what we did. and what we Thought it
matters not. 1t would be to you very
like chestnut, perhaps, to dwell upon
it. Every woman knows who has ever
been nineteen ; every man remembers
who knew what it was to be twenty
three.
"Well, one day when / entered the
house ] had surprise. had heard
rumors of there being wounded rebel
officer in hiding at the Sunderlands. l
had paid no attention to them, how
ever, believing them to be without
foundation. But on this day, entering
the house as usual without knocking, l
opened the door of the reception-room
or parlor, the first door on the right
hand side Of the hall, which ran through
the house. There was large fireplace in
this room on the side opposite the door.
AS i stepped in [ saw an easy chair,
high-backed, in front of the fire. l
was instantly conscious in some way
for l certainly saw nothing of him
that a man, and stranger, was sitting
in that chair. / did not attempt to see
any more. / stepped out, closed the
door, and quietly took chair in the
sitting room opposite. In moment
or two the eldest daughter came in hur-
riedly, pale, and agitated
"'Mr. - she gasped, did you
90 into the other room ?"
"I did, said l.
| ln,1 WON coo onuhoHu o
"I did not, answered very quiet
ly. She looked me squarely in the
/ eye. / looked sluarely back. She
bowed and, apparently relieved, passed
| out.
"She had scarcely gone before Adj
die came in. She was confused at see
ing me in the sitting-room.
"Ob, Mr.. - she said, and then
stopped in perplexity.
"'What is it 2 asked.
"'I was going to ask-I-that is
did you go into the other room !?
al did, said /.
| Did You see anybody 2
"'I did not
land then, with the same question
on her lips, Ellen came in, ignorant Of
what had occurred with the others. She
WIS very grave, almost sad. She asked
me the same question in a low, an APP
pealing tone. did not like even sub
| terfuge with her. When she asked If
| had penetrated the mysterious apart
ment asked, shaking my head.
"'And why? Is there anything in
| this house to conceal?'
1.-THE eldest sister, who had returned,
shook her head in denial. 1t was no
wonder. He was her husband, sup
pose. 1 looked at Ellen and Addie.
They looked away. They never looked
as lovely, ct least to me. For they
would not tell lie. and they trusted me.
"Well, / heard no more of the stran-
ger, and things ran ON as before for a
week or two. Then there came re-
peated rumors of the guerrillas in the
neighborhood and We began to take
extra precautions. l continued to call
daily at the Sunderlands, and one af-
ternoon as / was going away Ellen
seemed particularly i'll at ease. She
was nervous, besitating, and altogether
unlike herself. ! said goodbye to her
at the porch and went out to my horse.
As was about to mount she came out
of the house and toward me, bearing q
long, rich, crimson silk scarf, with fine
tassels of white silk at either end. She
held it out to me, saying:
"'Will you wear this--for me?'
"I cannot rob you, said. Out
side of the guitar l believe it was the
only thing OF any value that she had
left in the world.
"'Please wear it, she said. And
while l hesitated she deity put il
around my neck. and before / suspect
ed had put her arms around too, and
had kissed mesquarely on the lips. Al
/ looked at her, quite staggered, in al
altogether happy state of surprise, tht
tears sprang to her eyes, she turned
away, and went hastily into the house
II rode down the road slowly. Hel
conduct was so strange, the memory o.
that kiss, the first and last she eve
gave me, was so tenacious that it drove
everything else out of my mind. Ny
rein fell upon my horses neck, and
there had been hostile sharpshoote.
or a rebel troop anywhere about
would have been an easy prey. l hat
five men with NE. but they had gon'
further up the road and did not wal
for them. / rode thoughtfully alonI
during most of the way for four miles
Finally approached The Gap, thu
place Of which / spoke, the darkes
and most secluded section Of the whole
distance.
GAS entered it / heard some on
calling behind me. In little while
recognized Josh, my negro cook, VIII
had been visiting some plantation. IL
was afraid, / suppose, and wanted pro
lection, though he made some othe
excuse for calling. / refined up in tn
shade of big fir by white falle
, trunk in the gap and waited for him
waited perhaps FIVE minutes. l s.
twisting the tsssels of the scarf an
thinking Of Ellen. I was an easy mar
; as sat there, dead shot for any ma
in hiding who had ever looked along
!. gun-barrel.
"Then, with Josh a short distanc
behind, / journeyed onward. 1 stoppe
. at plantation some miles further dow
= and waited for my men. They did NJ
come. / went back to the camp, got
detachment, and went out to look IL